It's just two miles away - what's the problem? Measuring the food environment and access realities in a low-income community

Introduction: Efforts to address access issues in communities identified as food deserts have brought new resources and security to many previously marginalized families. However, when efforts are planned from an outsider's perspective, even data-based plans can be seriously flawed and ultimately ineffective. Methods: The staff and participants of Comida Casera (Homemade Food), a project of a larger community-based project Salud Familiar en McKinley, explored the reasons for low participation in a much-needed food distribution program merely two miles from the neighborhood center. Using a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods, the area was mapped, community members interviewed, and participant observation was used to understand the access challenges from both insider and outsider perspectives. Results: Six significant challenges were found along the 2-mile route to the food distribution site, most of which were not evident from city planning data or conventional maps. Additional challenges were uncovered that made access to an important resource only two miles away too significant to overcome. Discussion: Multiple methods are needed to understand the reality of food security programs and optimize their access to communities in need. The inquiry resulted in successful advocacy and community organizing to relocate the food distribution site at the local elementary school in the heart of the neighborhood. Within a few months, consumption, use, and enthusiasm for fresh and healthy food increased, interest in nutrition and food preparation education increased, and a set of inter-related interventions was developed to support and sustain the new food access opportunity.